Changing Winds
by Leanna R
Summary: As power changes hands among the Volturi, old deals are tossed aside and the danger intensifies. Now, Edward must do everything possible to protect his Bella from the Volturi, his world, and even himself. Post Eclipse. No Breaking Dawn spoilers.
1. Preface

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A/N: This is my first Twilight story, though I've written for other genres. I'm trying to keep it in the style of the books, however, I will switch back from Bella and Edward's point of view. I love feedback, so let me know what you think. Chapter 1 will be up soon!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that sounds familiar, Stephanie Myer has claim to all of that (including Edward, sigh)

Summary: Bella and Edward are faced with new challenges when power changes hands among the Volturi. Now, they must fight to survive and win against the forces that are determined to break them apart. Edward is dead set on protecting his Bella. But even he might not be strong enough as the situation continues to spiral out of control… set after Eclipse. Canon pairings.

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**Preface**

_Bella POV_

I watched him advance on me, his eyes wild and feral. I couldn't control the shaking of my body as I backed away, slowly and evenly, trying not to make any sudden movements but still trying to put as much space between us as possible. I never thought I would ever be afraid of him. I tried begging with him, pleading with him, but he didn't seem to hear me. The hot tears uncontrollably slipped down my face as I tried to think quickly, trying to find a way to save us both. I needed to find something to end this before regrettable moves were made.

I closed my eyes and remembered quickly how we had gotten to this point. I swallowed hard as I gently turned the ring on my left hand. It almost seemed to burn into me now. He growled deep in his chest and his top lip curled up. My quivering worsened as I took a slightly larger step back. My heel caught in the uneven floor and I tumbled backwards. For what seemed like the first time in a long time, I didn't have a pair of strong arms to catch me. I hit the ground hard, my elbows breaking my fall a bit by slamming into the cold, hard concrete. I cried out in pain but I barely had time to register the hurt. I was more worried about other things now.

As soon as I fell, his stalking stance eased. It turned into an attack position, and as he lunged at me, my screams purged any rational thoughts from my mind.

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A/N: So that's the preface! I have chapter one ready to go so I promise to post it soon. Drop me a review and let me know if you're reading. Thanks! :)


	2. Change of Plans

A/N: As promised, here's chapter one of the story. Leave me a review and tell me what you think of it. I promise to try to update pretty frequently and regularly, but reviews make me update a lot faster! :)

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**Chapter One- Change of Plans**

_Bella POV_

"Bella, need I remind you how dangerous it could be if you don't stand still?" Alice asked me as she rolled her eyes. "If I poke you with this pin…" she started

I rolled my eyes back at her as I looked down at her. I was standing on an elevated platform, wearing my wedding dress as she meticulously altered it. She was adjusting for my height and making sure it was long enough but still wouldn't cause me any additional reason to fall over my own feet.

"I know Alice, its best not to bleed in a house full of vampires" I told her as I finished her sentence for her.

"I suppose that's true" Alice admitted, "but the danger I was referring to involved what would happen if you got blood on the white lace."

I couldn't help but smile down at her as I tried to remain still. She had actually managed to get me excited about all of this wedding stuff. Edward had been concerned that I was doing this just to make everyone else happy, and while this was true, it was making me happy as well. For once, everything seemed to be falling into place. I let Alice drag me into all of her planning and I let her get me excited about details.

I twirled my engagement ring on my finger. It was a new habit of mine. Edward would always give me that crooked half grin I loved when he saw me do it. I would explain to him that I still wasn't used to the added weight, but I knew he could see right through me. The truth was I liked to remind myself that it was there. I liked to remind myself that I belonged to Edward, and him to me.

I reached my hand up to brush my hair from my eyes and the diamond charm on my bracelet reflected the sparse light that was contained in the room. Yet another marking of Edward's. Of course, the other charm hung on it as well. The wolf. I hadn't heard from Jacob and I didn't think I ever would. I brushed him from my mind, determined to forget. I didn't want to hurt Edward anymore than I already had with all of this Jacob business.

"Isabella, if you move one more time…" Alice threatened.

I sighed and pulled on a tight smile for her sake.

"If I was a vampire, I could stay as still as a statue" I reminded her.

"And while that is true, you're a human. So you are going to need to use a little will power" she snapped at me, good-naturedly of course.

"No more moving" I promised her as I sucked in a deep breath and stood still, letting her finish making the necessary markings on the dress.

It took another 15 minutes for Alice to be satisfied that she had the right measurements down. Finally, I was free from all of the white lace and I was allowed to slip back into my jeans and t-shirt. I hurried down the stairs, but stopped short when I saw Edward glaring menacingly at Emmett who glared back with the same ferocity. Neither seemed to move, and I could almost feel the animosity in the air. Jasper was standing there, watching them with his brow furrowed. I started to walk over to them but Jasper put out an arm to restrain me.

"What's going…?" I started, but Jasper 'shushed' me, effectively quieting me down.

"Stay very quiet" he whispered, and I couldn't stop the concern that was flowing through my veins.

"What's going on?" I tried again but this time as a whisper.

"Staring contest" Jasper answered solemnly as he looked back and forth between his brothers.

"Oh, good god" snapped Rosalie as she walked into the room.

She was standing in front of her brother and her lover before I even had time to register her arrival. She snapped their heads together, effectively breaking the contest off and causing them both to scowl at her. Of course, both of their heads were made of stone, so it didn't hurt them.

"I had that one Rose!" Emmett whined to her, taking her in his big arms.

"You did not. You both would have stood there for all of eternity. Emmett, you don't need to stare at Edward all day. You have me. And I'm much prettier" she purred.

If I had said that line, it would have sounded vein and whiney. But when the words came from Rosalie's full lips they sounded alluring and sultry. I definitely couldn't pull of sultry.

"Can't argue with that" Emmett told her as he playfully rolled his eyes.

"I'd rather stare at my fiancé anyway" Edward assured them, the crooked smile on his face as he took me into his arms.

I blushed, as I always did when Edward would stare at me with his smoldering topaz eyes. He kissed me lightly on the forehead as his siblings cleared out of the room, apparently sick of seeing our obvious signs of affection for one another.

"Was the wedding dress fitting unbearable?" he asked me.

"It wasn't so bad" I assured him.

He lifted up a finger and traced my cheeks, obviously following the rosiness that came from the rush of blood.

"I will miss your blush" he told me with a light sigh.

I bit my lip and cringed unwillingly. He realized his mistake immediately and I instantly saw pain and remorse in his eyes.

"Oh Bella, I didn't mean it like that" he assured me, gently capturing my lips with his own.

This had been an ongoing thing between us. Although I was desperate to become a vampire, I was also a little frightened. My fear didn't come from the pain of the change, or my potential inability to control my thirst. The fear came from my belief that Edward would no longer want me once I was a vampire. He had assured me a thousand times over that this wasn't true. But I couldn't shake the feeling. No vampire had captured his attention before, even with the striking features and beauty that came with being an immortal being. But here I was a mere human, able to capture the heart of the elusive Edward Cullen. I knew that my human elements were what attracted Edward's attention. I knew that he liked my blush and my warmth among my other human qualities. I knew that this is what made him fall in love with me. And as soon as I was a vampire, I would lose these things. I would no longer be in possession of the things that drew Edward to me. I would no longer be in possession of the things that made me special. Edward of course assured me that I was being ridiculous and that he loved me no matter what. He said that while my human features added to my attractiveness, he would forever love me and forever be captivated by me no matter what. I tried so hard to believe his words and push away my fears. But it was harder than I was willing to admit it. I was terrified of losing him.

"I'm trying not to be so sensitive" I promised him.

"Don't worry about it my sweet Bella" he cooed to me, his cool breath lingering near my ear. "I should never have brought it up."

I allowed myself to wrap my arms tighter around his waist, resting my head against his chest.

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_Edward POV_

I felt horrible as I held her trembling body close to mine. I knew she wasn't even aware that she was shaking, but I knew it. I resisted the urge to sigh deeply. I didn't want her to misinterpret that sigh as something else. I wished for the billionth time that I could just read her thoughts. I knew she didn't want it that way and I wouldn't want to displease her, but I couldn't help but think about how much easier it could all be if I was allowed access to her mind.

I just wish she would realize that I didn't care about the things like her blush or her body temperature. These were all added Bella bonuses in my mind, but they didn't make me love her any more or less. I would always love her with all of my being and all I had to offer, no matter what. It always made my unbeating heart clench when she doubted this. As always, I credited her doubts back to those months I spent away from her. I would never forgive myself for that. I would always hate myself for the pain I had inflicted on my reason for existing.

My angel groaned against my chest, and even though I couldn't read her thoughts, I knew the reason for this sound of annoyance.

"I need to take you back to Charlie's" I said reluctantly.

Telling Charlie that Bella and I were engaged hadn't been an easy task. After much yelling (mostly on Charlie's part) and tears (mostly on Bella's part), Charlie had accepted our engagement, though with a heavy heart. He agreed to walk Bella down the aisle, but with certain conditions. She had to continue living with him right up until the wedding. Bella had reluctantly agreed. She knew that I would spend every night with her anyway. But I could tell she wanted to stay in the house with my family. She wanted to feel like she was a part of them. She already called that house home. She called her old house "Charlie's" and I didn't try to dissuade her. Still, I knew part of her was happy with the situation. She was reluctant to leave Charlie and she was glad for the little time she had with him. It was still difficult to go through the façade of bringing her back there and leaving her though. I wanted to just keep her in my room, in my house, all the time. There would be plenty of time for that though.

Bella stepped out my arms, though I could sense her reluctance. She smiled back at me before turning around to face the door that led to the hallway of the house.

"Bye, see you tomorrow" Bella called in an even voice, not too loud or too soft.

A chorus of six "goodbyes" yelled back to her and I smiled as I helped her into her coat. We had barely made it to the door when the electricity went out. I instinctively grabbed her hand. It wasn't difficult by any means for me to see in the dark, but I knew she was basically blind. I didn't want her tripping over anything and injuring herself, and this was just asking for trouble.

"We probably blew a fuse. I'll get it" Carlisle yelled out, mostly for Bella's sake since the rest of us would have heard him if he merely spoke the words in his normal tone.

"It's not the fuse" Alice cried out, running into the room.

Even in the dark I could tell that her face was even paler than normal but by the time I realized this I had already read her thoughts.

"I'm sorry Edward, I couldn't see it until now" she lamented to me.

I grabbed Bella close to me, pushing her behind me but still wrapping my arms around her awkwardly as she stood behind me, pressed against my back. There was no time to run, no time to get her out. And I didn't know what to do. I just had to stop them; I couldn't let anything happen to her.

"Edward, what's wrong" she whispered in a hoarse voice, her fingernails digging into my shirt, unable to penetrate the stony skin of my arms.

I didn't have time to answer her though. I clutched her closer as a group of cloaked figures entered the house. I could feel Bella's fear, thick in the air as she started to understand what was going on. The cloaked figures stood ominously, staring at us for a moment with a ferocity that seemed to cut through me. I felt a sense of suffocating doom as I stared at the figures. The first one, the shortest, pulled her cloak down, and I made sure my grip on Bella was tight. She smiled a sickly sweet smile before she spoke. Jane couldn't contain her glee as she uttered the words that shook me to my core.

"There's been a change of plans" she started. "Things have been shaken up in Italy. We like to consider it a coup" she said, her smile growing wider, though it wasn't directed at anyone.

_A coup_. I didn't need to read her mind to get the exact implications of this coup. Aro had lost some power. He was no longer calling the shots. And Bella was no longer safe.

The changing winds were here.

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A/N: Chapter 2 is coming soon! Thanks for reading my story. Drop me a review if you have a chance. Like I said, reviews make me update faster (wink wink nudge nudge).


	3. Thievery

A/N: This chapter really starts the storyline of the story. I just want to remind all of my readers that even though this story wasn't written in entirety before I read Breaking Dawn, my storyline was. I had an outline with each chapter and plot points written before I ever even touched a copy of Breaking Dawn. So if anything isn't entirely consistent with that or seems obsolete, remember that this is fan fiction. Also keep in mind that this takes place after Eclipse and before Breaking Dawn.

There are no intentional Breaking Dawn spoilers in my story

Thanks to my reviewers and remember, reviews make me write faster! :)

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**Chapter 2- Thievery**

_Bella POV_

I clutched Edward's arm as tightly as possible. I could feel my fingers digging through his shirt, but of course they could not penetrate his solid arm so I wasn't worried about hurting him. I gripped him just a little tighter, even though it made my hand hurt. His arms were wound around me even though he stood in front of me, protecting me from our new visitors. He was so graceful that he managed to keep me pressed close to him, despite the awkward positioning. I kept my eyes trained on Jane, watching to see what her next move was. I could hear Edward growling low in his chest, trying to control his temper. I was afraid that he would make a sudden move and Jane would unleash her terrible power on him. I didn't want to have to witness that again. It had been plenty painful for me the first time, and the thought of seeing my Edward in that much pain shook me to my core and I unwillingly shivered. Edward mistook my shiver as fear for myself and he pressed me even closer to him. I willed myself to concentrate on Jane's words and not on her smirk.

"What do you mean, 'a coup'?" asked Carlisle as he stood next to us, his eyes narrowing at Jane.

The entire family was now gathered in the foyer, watching Jane and the other cloaked figures, poised to fight if need be. But I could tell that they were hoping to end this peacefully.

"Marcus and Caius decided that Aro needed a little vacation. He's not enforcing the rules quite as strictly as of late. Without the rules, we're just a bunch of uncivilized animals, running around and letting our instincts rule us. Now what kind of society would be if we let that happen?" asked Jane rhetorically, a humorless smile on her face. "No, that won't do," she continued, "it won't do at all. The rules were meant to be enforced" she said as her eyes narrowed at me.

Edward gently nudged me so I was further behind him, further protected by his body.

"What do Marcus and Caius intend to do with Aro?" asked Edward, but I knew he already knew the answer from reading Jane's thoughts.

He was prompting Jane to continue speaking. At first, I thought that he wanted to make sure the rest of his family could hear him. But as I watched the muscles in his back ripple and the tension in his shoulders continue to build up, I realized that he was just buying time. I didn't know how helpful extra 

time would be when it came to going up against the Volturi and their minions, but I trusted Edward and I didn't question his judgment. I knew he would keep me safe and I had nothing to worry about. At least, I tried to tell myself that was true. The truth was that I was worried. I was worried that one of the Cullens would get hurt in their efforts to protect me. It seemed like a never ending pattern- they always had to protect me from some force of evil. Perhaps I really was a danger magnet. I buried my face in Edward's back and blindly listened to the answer to his question.

"Don't be concerned about Aro, he's fine" Jane said, her voice becoming seemingly more high-pitched.

The figure next to her removed his hood. Hearing the rustling of fabric, I looked up and saw Felix glaring at me. I resisted the urge to hide my face in Edward's back again and continued to study the figures in front of me.

"Aro's just been given a reduced position" Felix explained, his voice more even than Jane's. "Jane's right though, Aro was starting to lose it. Caius won't tolerate any more screw ups."

"Well, thank you for the warning. We appreciate that you passed this news along" Carlisle said calmly, taking a step towards the door.

He was acting as though they were welcomed guests who had come over to spend the afternoon and had now decided they needed to go home. The way he smiled at them and started to escort them towards the door did not suggest that he was nervous about their sudden appearance at all. I suddenly wished for Jasper's help in making me feel that way too. But Jasper didn't look too calm himself. He stood next to Alice, glaring at the visitors, his eyes narrow and mean looking.

"We're not done here Carlisle" Jane explained, folding her arms over her chest. "A new era is here. And we need to go back and fix the errors that were made in the past. There are no more freebies"

"You made that clear the night of the battle with the newborns, after you killed that young vampire, Bree" Alice interjected, speaking up for the first time.

"That's right; we kept up with the rules. We followed them then and we intend to follow them now" Jane told him.

"So what do you want from us?" Edward asked, and he seemed genuinely unsure of what Jane was thinking.

I glanced at Edward's face and noticed that his brow was furrowed and his jaw was locked tight. He glared at Jane with the scariest look I had ever seen him make. He looked like a vampire should look, and quite honestly, it frightened me.

"What's the matter Eddie?" Jane taunted, her evil smirk back on her face. "You can't get past my blocking and read my mind?"

"What do you want from us" Edward repeated, his voice still miraculously and surprisingly calm and even.

"Isn't that obvious Eddie? We want the girl" she stated, the smile disappearing from her face as she took a step closer to me.

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_Edward POV_

I resisted the urge to laugh. There was nothing funny about this situation, of course, but it just seemed all so preposterous that I couldn't help but see the humor. There was no way they were getting Bella; that much I was sure of. They didn't understand the lengths I would go through to protect her.

As Jane took a step closer, Bella tried taking a step back but I held her tight. I wasn't going to let Jane back us down. I was going to hold my ground.

"You can't always get what you want" I spat at Jane.

"You can when you're me" she shot back, never missing me a beat.

I tried concentrating for a moment, trying to read her plan in her mind. But she was doing a pretty good job of blocking me. I glanced at Alice and tried to read her thoughts, but even she was not getting a clear vision of the future.

"_It looks like they have a bunch of plans, but since they haven't decided which one they're using yet… I can't see it. I'm sorry Edward" _she apologized in my head.

"Look Jane, go home and tell Caius that he is going to honor his end of the bargain. Bella will be a vampire shortly, and his secret is protected. I will be changing her myself, there's no need for him to take matters into his own hands" I told her coolly, trying to just end this confrontation and get them to leave.

I knew that they had been given orders though, and they weren't going to back down without a fight. I would fight if necessary, but I really hoped it wouldn't come down to that. I didn't want to fight in front of Bella. I remembered the fight with Victoria and how Bella had almost hurt herself to protect me. I never, ever wanted that to happen. I had to make sure Bella was safe, but I couldn't do that too well if I was locked in battle with Jane and the other vampires that stood behind her.

"We don't want to change her…" Jane started but I cut her off.

"You won't be killing her" I interrupted.

"..Yet" Jane finished, ignoring my outburst.

"What do you mean you don't want to change her _yet_?" asked Carlisle.

"_Be calm Edward"_ Carlisle warned me in my head.

Jane pursed her lips together and I could tell she was focusing really hard on keeping her mind blank. I focused even harder though, desperate to read her thoughts. I managed to catch a few wisps though, and my anger and fear only grew as I realized what they intended to do to Bella.

"She is not a lab rat" I growled, my teeth snapping in anger.

I wanted to rip Jane to pieces. I started to plan which parts would come first. I wanted to keep her head on as long as possible. I wanted her to feel all the pain I inflicted on her. Behind me, Bella pressed her face into my back again and I was reminded that I couldn't do that. I needed to control my temper and focus on protecting Bella, not hurting Jane.

"You're going to be safe" I whispered, so low that I don't even know if she heard it.

My family's thoughts were penetrating my mind. They all wanted to know what I meant when I used the phrase 'lab rat.'

"They want to run experiments on her" I explained, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible. "They want to see how she reacts to other vampire's abilities."

I was proud of myself for saying that sentence so coolly. I felt like there was a raging beast inside of me, desperate to get out and inflict pain on those who wanted to hurt Bella. I would rather be tortured for the rest of eternity than let her be experimented on by the Volturi. No one was going to lay a finger on her.

Bella whimpered softly behind me and I could feel the fear radiating off her in waves. I managed to rub small circles on her back, even as my arms remained locked behind me, holding her tight. I felt her calm down slightly, but I knew she was still terrified. I wanted to assure her that I would never let anything hurt her. The best way to do that right now was to get these vampires out of the house.

"We won't let you take her" I told Jane. "So I suggest you leave. We're going to hold up our end of the bargain and turn her in just a few weeks time. And you better hold up your end and leave us alone. You don't want to fight us" I warned her.

"Maybe I do" she said, crossing her arms over her chest and jutting her chin out.

She looked like an impudent child.

"You wouldn't win" I assured her. "You are no match for us. You're the Volturi's lap dog. You just do as they say and occasionally you get a pat on the head" I spat at her.

I knew it was a bad idea to anger Jane, but I wasn't thinking clearly.

Jane's eyes narrowed on me and her smile changed. Before I could prepare myself, the horrible pain shot through my body. It was like there were a million fiery knives stabbing through my body, penetrating my stony skin and shocking and cutting me from the inside out. It felt like my insides were being charred and mangled. The pain was like nothing I had ever been through before. It was worse than when she used her power on me in Italy. It was even worse than my transformation.

I clenched my teeth together and tried to stop myself from crying out. I was doing everything in my power to remain standing and keep Bella pressed against me, shielded from the others.

"_Edward, let her go! We'll get her out of here" _Emmet explained in my head.

I heard Esme whispering comforting thoughts in my head as well, trying to talk me through the pain. Unfortunately, it was all a haze as the pain consumed me. The one thing that was stopping me from dropping to the floor and curling into a ball on the floor was the idea that I needed to protect Bella. My body twitched in pain and I could feel Bella fighting to get out of my tight grasp. She was yelling something in a terrified voice, but I couldn't make out the words passing through my angel's lips.

_

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__Bella POV_

I couldn't stop the tears that ran down my face as Edward became rigid and tight with pain. I could tell by looking at his face that he was in intense, bone crunching pain and there was nothing I could do about it. My mind was running a mile a minute as I tried to soothe him. I rubbed his back gently and held him up as best as I could. He still had his arms wrapped tightly around me, protecting me with his body. He was absolutely amazing. Even as he was being tortured, he was protecting me. I wanted to do the same for him. I couldn't bear to see Edward like this for another second. Suddenly, a thought came to me. I was able to help him. I was immune to Jane's power. If I could just get between her and Edward, I could free him from her torturous gaze.

I struggled in Edward's arms, trying to break free so I could position myself correctly. But even in his painful haze he managed to keep a tight grasp on me. I could tell he was starting to crack a bit though. I glanced around at the other Cullens, watching as their faces became even tighter with worry. None of them were as stupid as me though. They all knew not to interfere with Jane or it would be worse. I was reminded of the way Alice held me back that time in Italy. I had wanted so desperately to go to Edward and stop his pain. It was the same now. Finally, Edward started to crack even more as Jane refused to stop. I took a quick step back and it was enough to break his hold on me. Even though he was a million times stronger than me, he had finally reached the point where he was in so much pain that he couldn't hold me anymore. This terrified me because I knew now that he had to be hurt incredibly badly if even I could break his grasp. He was mumbling something incoherent but I didn't focus on that and instead focused on protecting him.

Before any one of the Cullens could stop me, I rushed in front of Edward, breaking Jane's gaze. Immediately, I could feel Edward straighten up, all the tenderness and hurt gone as Jane was interrupted. Edward reached out so fast to pull me back, but it was too late.

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_Edward POV_

As Bella broke free of my arms, I realized what her plan was. I blindly grasped for her again, but I couldn't find her. I couldn't see clearly and it felt like there was a fog over my eyes. I called out for her, but I was acutely aware that my words were jumbled and unclear.

Suddenly, the pain stopped. The fog vanished from in front of me and instead, I could see Bella standing there. She stood tall and strong, but I could see that she was trembling. This was exactly what Jane wanted. An opportunity to get to Bella. I reached my arms out as quickly as possible to pull Bella back 

behind me, and even as I did this I saw Emmet and Alice rushing forward to move her out of the way as well. But we weren't quick enough.

Jane bared her teeth and lunged at Bella, managing to grab her wrist before I could fully pull her back. I stopped pulling on Bella, afraid that I would break her wrist if I tried jerking it from Jane's grasp. Instead, I worked up the will power to let go of Bella, though I was fearful that the second I let her go she would be gone. As soon as I dropped my hold on Bella I launched myself at Jane, ready to attack and fight for Bella.

I barely noticed that the rest of my family was locked in battle with the other figures. However, I did notice that as I tackled Jane down, Bella wasn't pulled into the fray. I glanced up and saw Alice pulling her out of the way the second Jane released her grip on Bella's wrist. Jane growled as she saw Alice pull Bella away and she tried to get to her again. I held her down though, continuing to try to rip her apart.

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_Bella POV_

I barely knew what was happening. It was all going so fast. I felt Jane grab my wrist in a tight grasp, and I felt Edward release me. Next thing I knew, I was free from Jane's grasp and Alice was pulling me away. I glanced around in fear, noticing the rest of the Cullens fighting and trying to protect me and their family. I tried to swallow my fear as I heard all the growls and ripping noises. The vampires were moving too fast for me to even keep up with all of their battles.

"Bella, you have to run" Alice yelled at me as another vampire made his way towards us.

Alice grabbed me and darted out of the way. She had me tossed over her back and she ran out of the house, depositing me on the front stoop.

"Run Bella, just run. As fast and far as you can. We just need to get you away from the brawl. Once this is taken care of, we can come get you" Alice explained quickly as she started pushing me in the direction of the forest.

"Run?" I asked, still very confused.

"Don't worry about us. Just run. You'll be safe as long as you're away from the battle. We'll hold them off."

"But Edward…" I started.

"Don't worry. You just need to keep yourself safe. Bella, I have to go back and help them. Just run" she told me.

She kissed my cheek and hugged me close for a second before pushing me off in the direction of the forest again.

Before I could even turn around, she was gone. I was so scared. I was terrified that something would happen to Edward or any of the other Cullens. I was scared that Jane or one of the others would find me.

'Lab rat.'

The words echoed in my head. I took off running, knowing that I could trust Alice. I headed to the forest, running as fast as I could, trying to focus on not tripping. I wistfully thought of the cars sitting in the Cullen's driveway. If only I could have taken one of them. But I knew that I probably wasn't the best person to be involved in a high-speed car chase. Running was my best option right now. I thought of Edward, and his quest to keep me safe, and I ran faster.

I felt like I was running for hours, but I knew it must have only been a few minutes. I didn't even know where I was going. I was just running. I selfishly wished that Jacob was here. He could have helped Edward in the fight, or he could have helped me escape. I knew it was wrong to wish that I could put Jacob in danger, and I was partially glad that he wasn't involved in this danger. But I couldn't help but wish that I had a guarantee that Edward and the Cullens would win this battle. Edward was the most important thing in my whole life.

I tripped over a stick and started to fall forward, but a pair of strong arms caught me. The arms were cold and wrapped around me, but they weren't the same arms I was used to. I brought my head up and looked right into the red eyes of Jane. Her lips curled upwards into an evil smirk but before she even had a chance to say a word, something else lunged at me, ripping me from her arms.

It took me a moment to realize that it was Edward. We flew through the air and he turned his body so that he took the full brunt of our fall onto the forest floor. I was cradled to his stony chest as we hit the ground, but a second later he jumped up and pushed me behind him again.

"Just the three of us now Eddie" Jane taunted.

"You won't get her" Edward warned her.

"I managed to get her this far from your house. I'll get her to Italy" Jane growled back at him.

Faster than I could even blink, Edward and Jane lunged at each other, ripping and clawing at one another. The fight was moving so fast that I couldn't see what was going on. I did hear a loud cracking noise followed by a cry from Edward though. It was a horrible sound, and his cries vibrated through the forest. It shook me and I gasped, desperate to see what had happened. There was another crack and then everything slowed down. I saw Jane push Edward over to the floor and I looked at his pained face in horror. He was biting his lip, obviously trying to stop himself from crying out. I gazed down his body, looking for injuries, and then I noticed something chilling. Both of his legs were sticking out at the oddest angles. Both of his legs were obviously broken. The forest started to spin and I willed myself not to faint or vomit at the sight of him in so much pain.

Jane was at my side in a second. Before I could do anything to stop her, she pinned my arms to my sides and picked me up tightly.

"Edward!" I called out as I unsuccessfully struggled in Jane's arms.

Edward tried to stand up but his broken legs prevented this from happening. I noticed that he was trying to use his arms to crawl over to us, but he was going too slowly.

"Let her go!" he growled menacingly.

"She's ours now" Jane told him as Felix showed up at her side.

Felix pulled a cloth out from his pocket and I tried struggling away from him. Jane's grip was too tight though and the next thing I knew, the cloth was placed over my nose and mouth. As I breathed in the chloroform that the cloth was soaked in, I tried to focus all my attention on Edward. I felt myself flying through the air though, and I managed to grasp on to the thought that Jane was running with me in her arms. She was pulling me away from my Edward.

"Edward" I tried mumbling, but the word was unintelligible.

The last thing I heard as everything went black was the tortured sound of Edward's voice as he screamed my name in pain.

* * *

A/N: The next chapter's coming soon. Thanks for reading.


	4. Her Safety, His Sanity

A/N: So I hate to make threats in order to get reviews, so I'm not going to set any ultimatums. But if you do read my story, please just write me a quick review. It really does make me update faster and it makes my day too. Those three seconds that it takes you to write a review are worth it, trust me. :) So thanks to everyone who's reading, just try and give me some feedback when you have a chance.

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**Chapter 3- Her Safety, His Sanity**

_Bella POV_

All I could see was haze and mist as the next few hours passed. I was aware that I was slipping in and out of consciousness, but I was never truly alert. The colors were swirling by me, painting brilliant pictures that made my head spin. I vaguely remembered a private plane and the sensation of running at vampire speed. I heard distorted voices, some too loud for me to make sense of what they were saying, some too low for me to even hear. And then I felt cold. I felt myself being carried downward at vampire speed. I could sense that I was being carried down below the ground. The part of my brain that was still functioning told me I was in Italy, at the Volturi's lair. Everything was still a blur as I was roughly deposited on a hard mattress. It sort of reminded me of Edward's chest, but it wasn't quite as icy or smooth. Edward was on my mind as I slipped back into the world of unconscious.

* * *

I awoke a while later, finally able to clear my head. For once, I wasn't drugged again. I sat up and stretched out my muscles, gazing at my surroundings as I did. I was in a small room with just a cot, a small dresser, a small table, and a lumpy arm chair. There was one lamp that cast the room in soft, dim light. I walked over to the dresser and looked inside. There were a few outfits in there, all of which seemed to be in my size. The room had no windows but it did have two doors. I tried the handle of the first door and I was surprised when it opened. It led to a tiny bathroom with a sink, a toilet, and a small shower. A bag of toiletries sat on the edge of the sink. I exited the bathroom and tried the handle of the second door. This one was locked. I knew that it was the only way out of this room. Where it led to was beyond me though. Based on the temperature, I could guess that I was underground. But that was all I could guess.

I sat down on the cot. I was surprised that I had been given a room like this and given things such as toiletries and clothing. It wasn't a particularly nice room, but it was still a room. I had expected to just be locked in a cage somewhere. I sighed, trying to suppress my fear and trying hard not to cry. I couldn't believe I had been taken. Edward had been so strong and so brave as he tried to fight for me. I thought of his broken legs and I couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my face. It would be painful for Carlisle to set them and painful as they healed, even though they would heal at super-speed. I knew it was irrational to worry about Edward's broken legs while I was in a situation like this, but I couldn't help it.

I knew that my main concern should be about what the Volturi were planning on doing to me. I was at their mercy and I knew they wanted to test what I could do. These tests could be painful or horrifying and I had no idea what they planned on doing with me afterwards. But for some reason, I could not focus on this. I could only think of Edward and his pain.

I knew that Edward was probably breaking down as he coped with my kidnapping. I was sure he wouldn't give his body time to heal before he came after me. I wondered what they would do to Edward if he came after me. It brought chills to my body. I was terrified that they would hurt him. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if the Volturi managed to hurt him. I hated that I wasn't able to protect myself. I lacked the speed and strength of a vampire and therefore I was helpless when it came to fighting them. I longed for Edward's comfort and I was desperate to be able to comfort him as well. My heart called out to him as I thought about the pain he must be in now.

* * *

_Edward POV_

I had been crawling around in the forest for over an hour. It wasn't really crawling; it was more like pulling myself with my hands. Luckily, my skin was made of stone and it couldn't break easily. I was still chasing after Jane, trying to get her. Logically, I knew she was halfway back to Italy, with Bella in her possession. But it didn't stop me from trying to catch up to her, and without the use of legs on top of all of that. I was determined to save her. I had vowed to keep Bella safe, to protect her from the monsters that lived in my world. And I had failed her.

"_Edward!"_ a worried voice called in my head, and I recognized Esme.

I knew it would be a best to call out for her, let her know where I was. But I didn't have the strength. It felt like my heart was stuck in my throat. It felt like I was choking on it and I couldn't speak. My Bella was gone. My reason for living had been taken from me.

"Edward!" another voice yelled, this time out loud.

Before I had time to contemplate responding, Carlisle and Esme appeared through the trees.

"Oh Edward!" Esme exclaimed as she ran towards me, taking me in her arms.

I didn't want to be comforted by her. I wanted them to run after Jane and take Bella back. I wanted to feel my pain. It would give me the motivation to keep going after Bella. Besides, I knew Bella must be in pain and I wouldn't allow myself to be comforted when she had no one there to hold her.

I slipped out of Esme's arms and tried to keep dragging myself forward.

"_Edward, darling, please. We need to take care of you"_ Esme begged with her thoughts.

I could tell she was worried about me, even without reading her thoughts. But nothing would stop me from going after Bella. I could already feel my legs starting to heal. They were healing at awkward angles of course, but they were still healing. I would be able to walk on them soon, though it would be difficult since they wouldn't be straight. I wouldn't be as graceful or as fast, but I could stand up and I could go after Bella and Jane.

Carlisle seemed to realize that my legs were healing the wrong way too.

"Edward, your legs look seriously injured. I need to take care of them before they finish healing the wrong way" he explained rationally.

"I don't care about my damn legs" I told him through clenched teeth.

"Edward, I know you're terrified for Bella," Esme said softly, "but there's nothing we can do for her right now. We need to regroup and come up with a plan. And aside from that, you can't run to Italy on broken or improperly healed legs. The best way to save her right now is to take care of yourself"

I sat there, taking deep, unnecessary breaths for a few moments as I gathered my thoughts. I knew Esme was right, but it still felt like I was giving up. Unable to speak, I just nodded my head once, my eyes downcast. I felt ashamed and defeated as Carlisle scooped me up into his arms to carry me back to the house. I had let Bella down.

* * *

_Bella POV_

I was sitting in the room for about an hour, worrying about Edward and wondering if I would ever see him again. I jumped back as I saw the doorknob of the second door start to turn. I was tempted to hide behind the arm chair, but I knew that it wouldn't hide me from whoever was entering the room. A vampire walked in, and I recognized him to be Caius. Marcus glided into the room behind him, looking just as bored as ever. It was obvious that Aro wasn't in charge anymore. Caius had been the one to take over and Marcus resumed the number two position. I swallowed hard and tried to stand up tall and straight. I wanted to show them that I wasn't afraid of them. Of course, I knew they could sense my fear.

Caius didn't bother with any of Aro's pleasantries, nor did he pretend that I was an invited guest.

"Things have changed around here Bella" he spoke to me.

"How have you been?" I snapped back at him caustically, crossing my arms over my chest defiantly.

"Don't confuse me with Aro" he said tightly, "I'm not going to look past the fact that you're a human. All I see when I look at you is a rule-breaker. Well, that and an afternoon snack" he said with a smirk.

"You won't kill me" I said, tightening my face and staring him down.

"Yes, Jane informed me that you know what we have planned for you" Caius said, but he didn't seem upset that I knew the plan. "We had no intentions of keeping this from you. You will be tested. We need to see what makes you so special" he said, taking a step closer.

I resisted the urge to step backwards. I wanted to remain strong, but I had a sense of self-preservation as well, so I couldn't stop myself from trying to reason with the ancient vampire.

"I already know why some powers don't work on me. If I tell you, will you let me go?" I asked.

I was surprised when Marcus started laughing. It was a huge change from his usual apathetic demeanor.

"You mean Alice's theory?" he asked, a smile still on his face as he stopped laughing. "Yes Isabella, we know about the theory. But what's a theory if it's not tested?"

"Besides, "continued Caius, "once we know what you are capable of, we'll know what to do with you."

"Do with me?" I questioned, swallowing hard. "Please, just let me go" I whispered feebly.

"We can't do that Bella. All other things aside, you still broke the rules. You still know our secret" Carlisle told him.

"I haven't told anyone, have I? I've known for a year and a half, nearly two years now and I haven't said a word. I won't tell anyone. I would never do that to Edward or the Cullens. Don't worry, the secret's safe with me" I explained, still trying to weasel my way out of this situation. "Besides, Edward and I are due to get married in just a few weeks time. Then he'll change me and it'll be my secret too."

"It's true that you've known our secret for two years Bella. And it's two years too many" Caius snapped at me.

I stared angrily at him for a moment before Demitri walked into the room, carrying a tray of food. He put it down on the small table and left the room without saying a word, but I could tell that he was breathing in my scent as he walked by.

"Eat up Bella. And get some rest. You have a long day tomorrow" Caius told me as he and Marcus left the room, shutting and locking the door as they left.

I sat down in the lumpy chair and stared at the food in front of me. I was so hungry, and it looked so good. But I didn't want to give in and accept their food. Plus, despite the fact that my stomach was rumbling with hunger, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep anything down. I was so nervous about my safety and about Edward's sanity. I was sure he was going crazy with worry because I was missing. But I knew that if he was here with me he would make me eat. I took a deep breath and picked up a piece of bread and started nibbling at it. I picked at the rest of the food, concentrating hard on swallowing without choking it back up. When I felt like I couldn't bear to take another bite, I gave up and lied down in the bed, turning off the lamp as I did. I didn't even bother to change into the pajamas they had left me.

I lied in the bed, looking up at the ceiling. I laughed humorlessly. This would be one of the first nights in a long time that I didn't sleep with Edward at my side. There was the occasional night where he wasn't with me. But it was only because he was hunting and besides, I never actually got any sleep on those nights. I sighed deeply and tried to pretend that Edward was there with me. But it was too hard. The bed was too warm and lumpy. I longed for Edward's comfort. Tears started streaming down my face again, and I couldn't control the sobs that started. I was terrified. I needed him by my side. My heart was hurting and I felt like I couldn't breathe. Eventually, I cried myself to sleep. I spent the night tortured by dreams of my upcoming "tests" and Edward's pain. I could feel Edward's pain more potently than I could feel my own.

* * *

_Edward's POV_

I was silent the whole time that Carlisle carried me back to the house. He brought me up to my room and put me on the big golden bed in the middle. _Bella's Bed_. I was slightly comforted by the fact that it smelled of her. Her scent still drove me crazy. The back of my throat would burn whenever I breathed it in, but it only evoked good feelings. Ever since she had saved my life in Italy, her scent no longer made me thirsty. It awoke desire and love in me. It comforted me and reminded me of just how much I loved her and how much she loved me in return. I lied down and clutched one of the pillows over my face. I breathed in her scent and only her scent.

"_Edward, I'm going to need to rebreak your legs" _Carlisle said through his mind, accompanying it with a deep sigh.

"Just do it" I mumbled.

"I'm sorry" he said, "they healed the wrong way for far too long" he explained.

"Just do it" I growled, louder this time.

Carlisle nodded slowly and I put the pillow back over my face, bracing myself for the pain.

'_I wish Bella was here to at least hold his hand' _Carlisle thought.

I growled at him.

"Sorry Edward, I meant to block that" Carlisle apologized.

I growled again and bit my lip in preparation. I heard the snap as Carlisle broke my legs again, one at a time, and then set them in braces. The pain shot up through my body, and I gritted my teeth together. It didn't hurt as badly as it could have though. The pain in my heart overshadowed it.

As Carlisle worked on my legs, my thoughts wandered to Bella. I hoped she was physically unharmed. I couldn't help but remember how she was unconscious when Jane carried her off. I prayed that they were treating her right and that she was safe. I wished I had a way of letting her know that I was coming for her. I was sure that she knew it anyway and I was sure that she was aware that I wasn't just going to leave her there. But still, I was desperate to assure her and calm her fears in some way.

"I'm done Edward. You should rest for a few hours. We're going to clean up downstairs and then we're going to start planning how best to handle the situation. Alice called Charlie and let him know that Bella will be spending the night here" Carlisle told me.

I nodded numbly. I really didn't care about the cleanliness of the house, or Charlie, or even my legs right now. I just cared about Bella.

* * *

I lied there for a couple of hours, my thoughts on Bella the whole time. Finally, there was a tentative knock on my door and Alice poked her head in.

"How do your legs feel?" she asked quietly as she walked in and sat down on the bed next to me.

The usual spark and perkiness was lost from her and she seemed somber. I knew Bella was her best friend and this must be killing her as well.

"They're fine" I answered quietly. "Tell me she's going to be alright" I begged her.

"Edward, you know I can't see things like that" she said with a sigh.

"Give me something Alice. Tell me she's alright, at least for now" I begged again.

I concentrated and tapped into Alice's thoughts. I could see Bella lying in a small bed, looking frightened and sad, but safe at least. Her sadness permeated my body and I couldn't help but roar in frustration. To Alice's credit, she didn't even flinch.

"She'll be ok Edward. We'll save her" Alice explained.

"We have to. I promised to always be there for her. I need to keep her safe Alice. If anything happens to her, I'll rip myself to shreds and burn myself. I won't need anyone to do it for me" I promised.

"Don't say things like that Edward" Alice chided. "We will get her back, and you two will be married, and it will all be ok."

"You don't know that" I told her. "You can't see things like that, remember. Not until decisions have been made."

"I don't need my visions to tell me that. I can tell that you are so determined to save her, so I know you will" she explained to me.

"I was determined to stop Jane from taking her and I failed miserably at that" I grumbled bitterly.

"She'll be fine" Alice assured me, bending down to hug me. "We're going to meet in Carlisle's study in a few minutes" she said as she got off the bed. "It's time to strategize."

I nodded at her and promised her I would be there.

"Oh, and I have this for you too" she said as she reached into her pocket and pulled something out.

I looked into her mind as she was reaching for it and I saw that it was Bella's bracelet. I took it in my hands and glanced at Alice, reading her thoughts to see where it came from. Apparently, it must have fallen off when Jane grabbed Bella's wrist. I grew angry as I realized how tight Jane must have grabbed her. She probably had big ugly bruises on her beautiful alabaster skin. Jane had hurt my Bella.

I hadn't noticed that Alice had left the room as I threw a pillow across the room. It hit a lamp and knocked it over. I was suddenly glad for the sound of the crash. Before I could contain myself, I was tearing apart the whole room, completely pulling it all apart. I left the pillows together because they smelled of Bella, but nothing else was spared. My rage was all consuming and I couldn't control my desire to hurt something. I wanted to release all of my frustration. It wasn't fair. Bella didn't deserve this. We both didn't deserve this. Hadn't we been punished enough?

Perhaps this was my punishment for leaving Bella. I was now being forced to feel the pain of losing my love. Of course, I knew that she still loved me whereas Bella had to doubt that when I left. And I left on my own free will. Bella had been taken against hers. I hit the wall hard, making yet another hole. I was done with all the drama. I just wanted to live for the rest of eternity with Bella. Although I feared for her soul, the selfish part of me was thrilled that she would forever be with me and she would be spending eternity as my wife. I just wanted to start our new lives already and leave behind all of this trouble. But they wouldn't back off of us. I hit the bed hard, breaking off one of the posts.

I stopped in my tracks as I saw Bella's bracelet lying on the bedspread. I managed to calm myself down enough to pick up the delicate piece of jewelry. I saw the diamond I had given her dangling from it. I knew she hadn't immediately realized it was a diamond, and once she did she was angry and shocked. But she still accepted it, and I was glad. I wanted nothing more than to constantly cover her in diamonds and other finery. She deserved it. She deserved the world. I didn't deserve her and I didn't deserve my lavish lifestyle. Of course, she was worth more to me than all the jewels and precious metals in the world. Nothing was worth as much as Bella was and nothing was as good as she was.

Looking next to the diamond, I saw the small wooden wolf. I held it between my forefinger and my thumb. It was tempting to crush it. When she came back, I could explain to her that it had been destroyed in the fight. She would believe me. She'd be upset though. I didn't want to do anything to upset her. I rationalized with myself, telling myself that she had picked me, not Jacob. She had been given the choice and I was the one she wanted. It warmed my cold heart every time I thought of this. Bella wanted me. Bella loved me the most. Jacob wasn't a threat. Bella would always love me more than him, more than anyone else. And she would always be the reason for my existence. I slipped her bracelet into my pocket, the wolf still safe, and surveyed the destroyed room.

My rage had slipped away and the sadness was overwhelming me again. I ducked my head down. I knew that if I was capable of crying, the tears would be running down my face now. I tried to feel the optimism that Alice felt, but I just couldn't bring myself to that point. I did feel determined though. I was going to get my Bella back. Nothing would stand in my way. Nothing.

* * *

A/N: So remember- if you have a second please just leave me a review. As you can tell, I'm not completely above begging, lol. And thanks for reading!


	5. The First Test

A/N: Hey all! Sorry I haven't updated this in forever. My winter break from school is starting in a couple of weeks so I promise to try and update regularly during the break. Here's a chapter for now…

* * *

**Chapter 4- The First Test**

_Bella POV_

"Good morning sunshine" a falsely cheery voice greeted me, jerking me awake.

I shot up in bed, my dream about Edward interrupted, and I came face to face with Felix. I pulled away from him and cowered in the corner of the bed.

"Don't worry _Bella"_ he said, putting extra emphasis on my name. "I'm not allowed to hurt you, unless necessary. You're safe. For now. Demetri will be here in 15 minutes to take you to your first _test_" Felix told me with a smirk before exiting the room.

I got out of bed, standing on shaky legs. I walked into the bathroom and used my time for some "human moments." I knew that when I was done with these moments, it wouldn't be Edward waiting for me though. I had to swallow my tears this time. I wouldn't let them see me cry. I was terrified to find out what this first 'test' would be. I wished for the millionth time that I would wake up in Edward's arms and realize that this had all been a nightmare.

I entered my small room again just as Demetri walked in.

"Let's go" he said simply, taking me by the arm and leading me out of the room.

He led me through the doorway into a narrow hallway. It was dark, with a few light fixtures here and there. The floor was stone with a carpet running down the center of it, and the walls were stone as well. It seemed like a converted dungeon. I shivered as I realized that was exactly what it was. Demetri continued to drag me down the hallway, his cold hard fingers digging into my arms. We finally reached a door at the end of the hallway and he used a key to unlock it. He pulled me through and then locked it again. The room he led me into was much warmer. I instantly began to thaw out as I searched for windows. I was disappointed when I found none. I realized that I must still be underground.

We walked across the plush carpet of the room and came to a heavy door. Demetri once again unlocked this one and then shoved me into the room that it led to, locking it behind him and leaving me alone. I took a moment to observe my surroundings.

The room was completely white. The floors were made of white marble and my shoes clicked against it every time I moved. The marble was shiny and I could almost see my ragged reflection in it. The walls were white too, though they lacked the shine that the floor had. There was nothing in the room except for me and a large mirror on one wall. I knew immediately that this would be the room that the tests took place in. I walked over to the mirror and examined myself. My hair was a mess, sticking up at odd angles and looking unkempt. My eyes were puffy and bloodshot from lack of a good night's sleep and from all of my tears. I raised a hand and touched my face. My skin was paler than usual, though still not as pale as a vampire's. It lacked that glow of a vampire's as well. I just looked sickly and sallow. As I glanced at the huge mirror, I was reminded of my fight with James. I shivered and pushed the thoughts from my mind.

I took a step back from the mirror and scowled. What was a mirror doing in this room anyway? I tilted my head to the side as I looked at it, deep in thought. Suddenly, it came to me. This wasn't a mirror at all. It was one-way glass. I knew that Caius and Marcus, and possibly even Aro, were on the other side. They were waiting to watch what would happen in the trials. I turned my back to the mirror so they couldn't see me anymore.

I looked down at my left hand and twirled my engagement ring on my finger. I gazed at it in awe. I instantly felt better when I peered at it. It reminded me of Edward. I knew he wouldn't just give up on me. I knew he was looking for me right now and he would save me. I felt silly for acting like a damsel in distress but I knew that I didn't have a choice in this situation. I hated that I had to rely on someone else to save me, but in my defense I was going up against inhuman forces. For now, I would do my best to save myself but I would wait for Edward to break me out of here. I remembered how Felix told me he was allowed to hurt me if necessary. I wouldn't put myself in that situation. I would stay safe so that I could return to Edward in one piece. If I got hurt, he would do something foolish. And I wasn't about to let that happen.

I was pulled out my thoughts as the door to the room opened again. A vampire walked in. My very first challenger.

* * *

_Edward POV_

I made my way into Carlisle's huge study and saw my family gathered around. I slumped down into an open chair and hung my head. My legs were almost completely healed, but I knew it was best to keep the pressure off of them. I wanted to be as strong and agile as possible when it came to rescuing Bella, and I needed full use of my legs to achieve this. I listened intently to my family's thoughts as I walked into the room. Each member had their own idea of how to save Bella. And each idea seemed more farfetched than the last.

"None of that's going to work" I grumbled at them.

Carlisle sighed deeply and peered at me through sad eyes.

"It's going to be very difficult to get Bella back from the Volturi, Edward. What they want, they get. But we need to be willing to try" he told me.

"I know that" I snapped angrily. "Don't lecture me about doing everything possible to get Bella back. I know better than any of you how important it is to save her!"

Everyone's thoughts became apologetic as they took in my outburst. I pinched the bridge of my nose tightly. If I had been pinching anything but my own body, I probably would have snapped it in half under the force.

"_We don't want a plan that's going to risk any of our lives"_ thought Rosalie.

I snapped my head back up at her.

"I would risk my life for Bella" I told her, surprisingly calm. "I would do anything to get her back. Don't question that."

"Edward, she's just a human" Rosalie said softly.

I lost my temper again, but this time I didn't rip the room to shreds. Instead, I launched myself at Rose, trying to rip her to shreds instead. Emmet caught me before I could get to her and he held me back. I struggled, but Emmet was much stronger than I was.

"_Calm down!" _He yelled in his thoughts. "_I'm not going to let you hurt Rose! Back off Edward!"_

Realizing there was no way I could get to Rose, I backed down. In the back of my head, I knew that I would hate myself later if I hurt my sister. I truly loved her, and I knew she loved me. But sometimes she could be infuriating.

"Bella is not just a human! She's my everything" I bellowed. "I will not let you treat her like she is disposable!"

Esme walked over to me and gently pushed me back into my chair. She stood behind my chair as I sat, her hand on my shoulder. Her touch was meant to calm me and to warn me. Esme hated when anyone in our family fought. She would not stand for it.

"Rose, apologize" she said softly.

"I'm not going to apologize for stating the truth" she said stubbornly. "But I'm sorry if I hurt you Edward. I know that Bella means a lot to you. I was just saying, you need to think of us as well. Your family."

I was about to open my mouth to berate her again but I quickly closed it as I read her thoughts. In her mind, there was a picture of Emmett. He was on the floor, squirming in pain as Jane stared at him, her sinister smile painted on her face. I closed my eyes and swallowed. I understood Rosalie's apprehension. She was right; I didn't want to risk my family. But at the same time, I needed to do everything possible to save Bella. I glanced at Rosalie and nodded in understanding. Rose realized that I had seen that image in her mind and she ducked her head down, clearly embarrassed.

"So what do you suggest we do?" I asked Carlisle as I turned away from Rose and faced my father figure.

"I think our best bet is to travel to Italy. We can figure out the best course of action from there. We need to see how much defense is surrounding Volterra. We don't want to anger the Volturi. Not while they still have Bella; that won't do us any good. I think we need to try and rationally talk to them. Perhaps contact Aro" Carlisle explained.

"I wanna go in there, grab her, and leave" I said through clenched teeth.

"The risk is too great, Edward" Carlisle told me. "We can't risk either you or Bella getting hurt. A smash and grab might not be the best idea in this situation."

I grumbled and crossed my arms over my chest, drawing them to me. I remembered a conversation I had with Bella a long time ago. She had finally started opening up to me about what life was like when I had left her. She told me all sorts of heartbreaking stories- stories that had made me want to rip my dead heart from my chest. These stories choked me with grief; I hated myself so much for hurting her like that. One of the stories in particular stuck with me. She told me how she would wrap her arms around herself to hold the hole in her chest closed. The hole where her heart was supposed to be. I knew how she felt in this moment. I was holding myself together as well. I longed for her with all my being.

I knew Carlisle was right. I knew that we needed to go to Italy and figure it out from there. It wouldn't be easy to stop myself from rushing into the Volturi's castle and just trying to rescue her like a princess locked in a tower. But I knew that I had to exercise self control in order to keep her safe.

* * *

_Bella POV_

"Oh, Bella! Thank god you're alright!" exclaimed the first vampire as he walked in.

My brow furrowed at him and I cocked my head to the side to give him a puzzled look. I studied the vampire in front of me. I don't think I had ever met him. Yet here he was, acting like I was an old friend. He had wavy blonde hair that came down to nearly his shoulders. His features were all defined and though he had the paleness and beauty of a vampire, there was something slimy about him as well. His fingers were long and thin, and he swiped his hair out of his face before taking a step closer to me, his thin lips curving up into what I assumed was supposed to be a comforting smile. Of course, his red eyes took any comfort out of any look he would be able to give me.

"It's ok love, I'm here now" he assured me, and I only became more confused.

I listened to his voice, hoping that this would ring a bell. Perhaps I would be able to recognize him now. Of course, I still had no idea who he was, nor did I know why he was calling me 'love.' His voice was soft and fake sounding, and I couldn't place what it reminded me of. I raised an eyebrow as I realized. He sounded like one of those voices on the late night commercials- the ones for phone sex. If the situation had been different, I probably would have laughed at loud. Of course, I was still in imminent danger so I suppressed my urge to giggle.

I still couldn't figure out why he was calling me 'love' though. Perhaps it was just a quirk of his. He seemed creepy enough to be the kind of man (or vampire) to do that. But it still didn't explain his apparent concern.

"Umm, do I know you?" I asked him, trying not to anger the very lethal vampire in front of me.

"Darling, of course you know me" he said with a slight laugh.

'_Darling?'_

"What have they done to you love? Have they messed with your mind? Your memory?" he asked as he took a step closer to me.

I took a step back from him, trying to calm my shaking and not act afraid.

"Look, I don't know who you are. Is this one of the tests?" I asked tentatively.

"You really don't recognize your Edward?" he asked me.

Even if I did hit my head and suffer from memory loss, the sight of this vampire's perfectly straight smile would have snapped me out of it. It was in no way the crooked smile I loved and missed.

"You are not Edward!" I cried, taking another step back and cursing under my breath as my back hit the one way-mirror.

"You really don't see me as Edward?" he asked, his voice tightening.

"No!" I cried.

"Hmm, worth a try" he said with a shrug. "I thought perhaps if I used the element of surprise, she wouldn't be able to put up whatever shields she has" he called out, but he didn't seem to be talking to me.

Instead, he was talking to something behind me. Or someone. Of course, the one way mirror.

"That's alright Ronan, it was worth a try" said a familiar voice.

I turned and saw Caius emerging from a door I had never noticed that was behind me. Caius smiled at Ronan and then looked back at me, his grin faltering.

"So Bella, looks like you failed your first test" he sneered at me.

I stared him down, refusing to show fear in front of Caius.

"Ronan possesses a very special power. He has the ability to make people see things that aren't there. He can make them hallucinate. Specifically, he can transform one person into another, right before your very eyes. Well, I suppose not _your_ very eyes."

"So he was trying to make me believe that I was looking at Edward?" I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. "Even if he had managed to make himself look like Edward, he never would have convinced me."

"My gift is very powerful" Ronan said, his airy voice sending uncomfortable chills down my spine.

He took a step closer to me and I had nowhere else to back up to. He grasped my upper arms with his hands and shook me, pulling me close to him. I gasped and breathed deep, closing my eyes and trying not to dwell on the fact that his teeth were dangerously close to my neck.

"_I'm_ very powerful" he whispered in my ear.

He held me to him for a second before dropping me back down. He pushed me against the wall and I stumbled, catching myself on the glass of the mirror and managing to keep myself from falling. My chest was heaving with deep breaths as I gasped for air.

* * *

_Edward POV_

"The tickets are all booked" Jasper confirmed as he looked up from the computer in Carlisle's study. "If we want to make the flight, we should be at the airport within the hour."

"I'm all packed" Rosalie announced, gliding gracefully into the study.

I glared at her, but my eyes softened as I remembered the picture in her head. I couldn't blame her for being worried about the one she cared most about in this world.

"_Edward, there's still one thing that needs to be taken care of"_ Alice called through her thoughts.

"What's that?" I asked as she walked in.

"Charlie" she told me pointedly.

I groaned. Of course, how could I have forgotten about Charlie?

"I'll take care of it" Carlisle called from upstairs. "Let's get in the cars; we'll stop at the Swan's on the way out.""

We loaded into the cars and drove to Bella's house. Carlisle instructed us to wait down the road and he went to the door alone. We all listened in, desperate to know how Carlisle planned on handling Bella's disappearance.

"Carlisle?" asked Charlie in surprise as he opened up the door.

I could almost imagine the shocked look on Charlie's face.

"_What's he doing here? Is Bella alright?!"_ asked Charlie to himself in his thoughts.

"May I come in?" Carlisle asked pleasantly.

Charlie's thoughts continued to run rampant with fears about Bella as he led Carlisle into the house. I could imagine them sitting in the living room on the slightly saggy couch. It got quieter, and I realized Charlie had turned off the ball game that had been on the TV.

"Is Bella ok?" Charlie asked, and I was proud of him for waiting this long without asking the question that was plaguing his mind.

"Oh, she's fine" Carlisle lied easily. "It seems we do have a small problem though."

"What is it?" asked Charlie anxiously.

"It seems that both your daughter and my son forgot to inform us about their college orientation. The orientation period starts tomorrow so they've rushed off to Alaska. My wife is taking them to the airport right now. Bella was in such a rush and she figured you'd be furious at her for not remembering this important event, so she begged me to tell you. I insisted that she tell you herself, but you know Bella. I couldn't say 'no' to her" Carlisle explained, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

Charlie's thoughts were muddled and flustered, and I couldn't tell if he bought Carlisle's story or not. Finally, Charlie let out a mental sigh and I knew that he believed Carlisle. The story was pretty implausible, and I knew that if anyone else had told it, Charlie wouldn't have believed it. But Carlisle did have a certain sway over people.

"I guess I can't be mad at her if she made it to Alaska in time for orientation. She's usually so responsible…" Charlie said as he trailed off. "I suppose I should have asked her about it earlier. As long as you're sure she's ok…"

"She's perfectly fine" Carlisle lied again.

"Did she need any of her things…?"

"It's all taken care of, don't worry" I heard Carlisle say, and then I heard the creak of the couch as he rose. "I should really be going. Just remember, don't be mad at Bella. She's really very sorry. She'll see you in a couple of days."

I heard the footsteps as Carlisle walked to the door and then the sound of the doorknob turning. In the distance, I could see Carlisle walking to his car that he had driven the rest of the way up the road to the Swan's.

"Wait!" Charlie called as he ran out of the house after Carlisle.

"Bella and Edward… they didn't… I mean, they wouldn't… they definitely didn't…" Charlie trailed off.

I rolled my eyes and smiled in spite of myself as I listened to his thoughts.

"What is it?" asked Emmett.

"Bella and Edward didn't run off and get married, did they?" Charlie asked apprehensively.

Carlisle smiled at Charlie, though by reading his thoughts I knew he was suppressing the urge to laugh.

"No, Charlie, Edward and Bella aren't at some chapel in Vegas right now or anything like that" Carlisle assured him.

Both he and I could sense that Charlie was still nervous though, so Carlisle added something to calm his nerves.

"Alice would never allow it."

Charlie seemed to relax at this.

"He's right you know" Alice mumbled.

I just rolled my eyes at her, willing Carlisle to come back quickly so we could start to Italy.

* * *

_Bella POV_

Caius sneered at me as he watched me breathing deeply, trying to gather my bearings.

"I have to say Bella, I'm quite impressed" Caius told me as he took a step closer. "Ronan wasn't exaggerating, he is very powerful. For you to be able to block him…well, let's just say I've never met anyone able to block his power. Let alone, a human."

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. My breathing had calmed down and was now even. My anger returned and my fear started to subside a bit. I was able to beat one of their strongest weapons.

"I'm a lot more powerful than you think too" I snapped at them.

Caius raised his hand and took another step towards me. For a second, I thought he was going to hit me, but instead, he just grabbed me by the arm.

"Why don't you take Bella back to her quarters?" he said as he turned to Ronan.

"I'd be glad to" Ronan said with a sickening smile as Caius dragged me to him.

Ronan took my arm, gripping it harder than Caius had. He shot one last look back at Caius before dragging me back down the hallway and back to the small, cramped room. He brought me into the room and shoved me down so I fell on to the bed. I rubbed at my bruised arm, taking in the deep, finger shaped bruises that marred my skin.

"Don't overestimate yourself Bella. You might be able to withstand our powers, but we're still vampires, and you're still just a human" he warned me.

I didn't answer him; I just continued to glare at him. Finally, he turned and left, locking the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, I allowed the tears to slip down my face. I rubbed at my arm again, the purple bruises standing out on the whiteness of my skin. I longed for Edward. I needed him. I wanted more than anything to curl up in his arms and just allow myself to be comforted in by him. I was worried about how he was feeling too. He must be in such anguish. He had tried so hard to protect me but he had failed. He hated failing. I lied back on the bed and closed my eyes. I thought of Edward and let the image of his face and the memories of our time together soothe me.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading. Please leave me a review. I have 3 term/research papers to write in a week and I need something to cheer me up; reviews definitely bring a smile to my face. :)


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